Creature of Habit, Fear of Change

Do you fear change? Do you like the status quo?

If you do, you are not alone. Most people don't adjust well to new things or big changes. That's where workplace learning and performance professionals can don their expertise. Successful change management initiatives start with communication. Being upfront and honest with employees about the impending changes will help the process go smoothly.

In this month's issue of T+D magazine, John Ely and Merry Lee Olson write about gaining buy-in from employees. Change happens, it's how you deal with it that matters.

Before you implement any change, you must have a plan in place to minimize risk, and make sure that plan includes communication with your employees.

Comments

[Marguerite Inscoe]

I think one of the reasons why change initiatives do so poorly is the perspective of the initiator. It's very difficult to see the world outside our own lens. If you like change (many personalities do) then it's likely you'll instigate it and at the same time cause steadier personalities a lot of heartburn. On the other-hand the steady individuals who rarely initiate change find that when it’s time to make it happen, their supporting change agents have already move on. What this article says may seem simplistic or commonplace, but communication is everything and apparently we are still having trouble with it.